UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, establish the authoritative global standard for preventing and addressing human rights impacts linked to business activity. The UNGPs rest on three pillars: the State duty to protect human rights, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and access to remedy. The corporate responsibility pillar requires human rights due diligence — a process to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for adverse human rights impacts. The UNGPs inform mandatory human rights due diligence legislation globally (EU CSDDD, German LkSG, French Loi de Vigilance).
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Framework Domains (3)
Pillar I — State Duty to Protect (Principles 1-10)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GP 1 | State Obligation to Protect |
| GP 2 | Regulatory and Policy Functions |
| GP 3 | Enforcement of Laws |
| GP 4 | State-Business Nexus |
| GP 7 | Conflict-Affected Areas |
Pillar II — Corporate Responsibility to Respect (Principles 11-24)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GP 11 | Responsibility to Respect |
| GP 13 | Avoid Causing Harm |
| GP 15 | Policy Commitment |
| GP 17 | Human Rights Due Diligence |
| GP 18 | Assessing Actual and Potential Impacts |
| GP 19 | Integrating and Acting on Findings |
| GP 20 | Tracking Effectiveness |
| GP 21 | External Communication |
| GP 22 | Remediation of Impacts |
Pillar III — Access to Remedy (Principles 25-31)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| GP 25 | State-Based Judicial Mechanisms |
| GP 26 | State-Based Non-Judicial Mechanisms |
| GP 27 | Non-State-Based Grievance Mechanisms |
| GP 28 | State-Based Non-Judicial Mechanisms (Detail) |
| GP 29 | Operational-Level Grievance Mechanisms |
| GP 31 | Effectiveness Criteria for Mechanisms |
Maps to 180 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)?
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is a compliance framework from International (United Nations) with 3 domains and 20 controls. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, establish the authoritative global standard for preventing and addressing human rights impacts linked to business activity. The UNGPs rest on three pillars: the State duty to protect human rights, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and access to remedy. The corporate responsibility pillar requires human rights due diligence — a process to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for adverse human rights impacts. The UNGPs inform mandatory human rights due diligence legislation globally (EU CSDDD, German LkSG, French Loi de Vigilance). It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) have?
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) has 20 controls organised across 3 domains. The largest domains are Pillar II — Corporate Responsibility to Respect (Principles 11-24) (9 controls), Pillar III — Access to Remedy (Principles 25-31) (6 controls), Pillar I — State Duty to Protect (Principles 1-10) (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) map to?
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) maps to 180 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Australia) (20% coverage), EU Taxonomy Regulation (20% coverage), Singapore Government Instruction Manual on ICT&SS Management (IM8) (20% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) compliance?
Start your UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 20 controls and track your progress.
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